There are many important factors that are involved in good health and fitness. Most people think that to lose weight and be healthy you have to avoid fat. However, you need to be aware that there is good fat and bad fat.
The harmful fats that will eventually line your arteries and cause heart disease are saturated fats. These fats are ridged, as their structure has the maximum amount of hydrogen atoms, making them saturated. Most food products that contain saturated fats include cheese, fatty meats, butter and whole milk.
There is a direct link between saturated fats and the amount of LDL cholesterol, or bad cholesterol, found in your body. High cholesterol can cause a myriad of health issues if steps are not taken to lower it.
Saturated fats are generally found in meat products and products from animals such as fatty meats, whole meat, butter and cheeses. Saturated fats are dangerous because they increase the amount of bad cholesterol, also known as LDL cholesterol, in your body which can eventually cause heart disease.
However, there are some saturated fats that are worse than others. Interestingly enough a saturated fat in beef and dark chocolate, stearic acid does not affect your LDL cholesterol at all. So stearic acid doesn't help your body, but it doesn't hurt it either. Another saturated fat, lauric acid, whill raise your LDL cholesterol but it also increases your HDL or good cholesterol. It can be concluded though that too much saturated fat is a problem, so eat your chocolate and beef in moderation.
It is a good idea to try to avoid saturated fats and instead consume unsaturated fats. An unsaturated fat tends to be liquid at room temperature while saturated fats are solids at room temperature. They do not have the maximum amount of hydrogen's in their structure and are more fluid and flexible. These unsaturated fats are good for your body and can make your heart stronger. Foods that are high in unsaturated fats include vegetable oils, avocado, fish, olives and nuts.
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Article: Health And Fitness - The Truth About Fat Author: Jose Bautista Publication Date: 2009-09-03 Total Views: 563 Word Count: 352 Category:Home /
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